AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: RED SOX v YANKEES

October 18, 2004

Tim Wakefield

TIM WAKEFIELD: Oh, I just tried basically to just keep us in the game as long as possible. I didn't know how many innings I would be able to go. After the second inning, they asked me how I felt and I said, "I'll give you what I've got." So I got through the third inning clean, and David did a great job, again, with a clutch hit to win the game for us.

TIM WAKEFIELD: I don't remember. It seems like -- we knew the situation. I think the first one, or the first ones got away from me when Posada was up that advanced -- I forgot who was on -- Matsui and we intentionally walked Posada to get to Sierra. I got ahead of him, two-strike pitch got away and I just looked at him, he looked at me, I said, "let's go," we've got to bear down and I trust Jason's hand more than anybody else besides Doug. But we just gave a look to each other and said, "it's okay," just have to get an out here and I was lucky enough to get a strikeout?

TIM WAKEFIELD: Exactly.

TIM WAKEFIELD: Just that look, that Tek and I gave each other, that's okay. It's all right, I'm all right with it, he's all right with it, you've got to bear down and get an out the best way we know how. He did a great job catching the third strike.

TIM WAKEFIELD: Yeah, it's huge for us. Coming home down 2-0 and losing Game 3 the way we did and being down 3-0 and being down the last two nights shows the depth, the character, the heart, the guts of our ballclub. And it took every ounce of whatever we had left to win tonight's game, and to win last night's game. I'm proud of every one of those guys in there. It's just, it's nice to be able to be going back to New York for Game 6 and Game 7.

TIM WAKEFIELD: Last year is last year. I'll answer your first question. I would have gone out there, I don't know how good I would have been, but I'd have gone out there. I think Terry and Wally both agreed that that was my last inning, no matter what, because we kind of have a tendency, you have to look to tomorrow a little bit, but you have to win tonight, too. So, you know, I think I'll meet with Tito and Wally tomorrow to assess the situation for tomorrow night's game and Game 7 if we get to that point.

TIM WAKEFIELD: They called down and told me I had -- I think it was the 11th or 12th. So I got up and got loose and they called back down and said Leskanic is going to go out there, if he gets into trouble we'll bring you in. I warmed up, I don't know how many pitches I threw, 45, 50 pitches down there to get ready for the game and obviously David hit the home run, I was ready coming into last night's game, if the score had stayed the same.

TIM WAKEFIELD: The hitters will tell you how good it was, basically. I felt confident in the way I threw tonight, and you know, I felt confident this whole month. So, you know, people say the cold weather bothers me; only certain situations bother me. If it's raining and it's really cold and dry out, it's really hard to hold onto a knuckleball with your fingertips when it's that dry, but I haven't had a problem the last two outings I've had.